Assembling tool



Sept. 12, 1939. n. R. NYDEGGl-:R Er lu. 2,172,847

ASSEMBLING TOOL Filed .Ju'ne 2o, 193e 2 Shqets-Shaet l.

vFIG. l

/N VE' N TORS le. R.. Nro 56cm a. A .$551. er

`R m BMM FIG. 2

ATTORNEY Sept. 12, 1939.

R. R. NYDEGGER El' AL ASSEMBLING TOOL 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fviled June 20, 1936 /NVr/vrons R. l?. NYDEGGER G. SEEL Ey n N M T T A Patented Sept. 12, 1939 UNITED ,STATES PATENT' OFFICE ASSEMBLING TOOL Application June 20, 1936, Serial No. 86,240

1o claims.

This invention relates to an assembling tool, A and more particularly to a tool for assembling slotted disks upon a strand, such as are employed in the manufacture of coaxial conductor elecy tricalcable.

In manufacturing one form of coaxial conductor cable, disks of insulating material with a radial slot are forced over a conductor strand at intervals along the strand, and then a tubular conductor is placed or formed over the peripheral edges of the disks. In such a lcable the disks serve to locate and support the inner conductor coaxially within the tubularouter conductor. In

some instances the disks may be Aassembled on the inner conductorby automatic machinery.

This conductor with its disks must then be in- ;spected before the outer conductor is applied, to be sure that no disk has been omitted or been accidentally removed. If such be the case a l manually manipulable tool may be used to apply In an illustrative embodiment, the invention contemplates a pair of coacting relatively movable members, one being formed and provided with means to hold a portion of strand, one being provided with a magazine for holding a supply of slotted washers and` presentthem tor 3# the strand with their slots properly oriented toward the strand, and one member being also provided with means such that relative motion 'of the members will position the strand in the slot of a disk from the magazine.

Other objects and features of the invention will clearly appear from the following detailed description of two` forms of embodiment thereof taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which the same reference numerals are applied to identical parts in the several figures and in which Fig. 1 is a view in central longitudinal section of a tool constructed in accordance with the invention, taken on the line of Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a view thereof in end elevation;

Fig. 3 is a detached broken View of the end yof the loading plunger; v

Fig. 4 is a broken detached view in side elevation of the front portion of the strand sup porting block; ,v-

form thickness, except where the offset portion Fig. 5 is a view of a portion of a strand with slotted disks thereon;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of another form of tool also constructed in accordance with the invention; ,A Fig. 7 is a broken viewthereof in side elevation, and

Fig. 8 is a sectional view on'the line 8-8 'of Fig. 7.

In the embodiment disclosed in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 10 4 the member 20 with its integral offset 2| `is the base upon which the rest of the device may be said to be'mounted and carried. The member 20 generally speaking is a circular disk of unijsponding central aperture 23 in the base 20 and is held against longitudinal movement therein by means of a collar 25 pinned at 26 to the shaft and in contact with the rear face of the 25 shaft, and a magazine body member 21 in front of the base and pinned to the shaft at 28.

The magazine body member 21 is a thick disk having a concentric groove or chamber 29 in its rear face. is defined by a peripheral flange 30. The members 20 and 30 are the disk retaining and housing elements of a magazine intended to hold a sequence of disks 3| (Fig. 4) to be assembled on a strand 32, each disk 3| having a-central 35 perforation 33 and a radial slotl 34 extending from the perforation out to the periphery of the disk. The thickness of the ange 30 is a triiie less than the disks for which the tool is made; and the 4o width of the 'flange is such that when a series of the Vdisks are in mace strad'dling the free edge of the flange 3|) as shown at the left side of Fig. 1, the backs of the disks are in or nearly in contact with the front face of the base 2U, 45 which thus keeps the disks 3| on the ange. A tensicnspring 6| secured at its opposite ends to the base member 20 and tothe magazine body 21 respectively tends -to prevent clockwise rotation of the magazine body with respect to the 50 base member.

A magazine follower head 35 formed with a slot 36 to loosely enclose the ange 30 is formed integrally on the outer end of a follower lever 31 journalled on the shaft 24 through its hublss The outer side of the chamber 29 30- around on the flange 38. The follower 35 is continually urged along the ange 30 in a counter-clockwise direction (Fig. 2) by means of a coil spring 43 positioned around the shaft 24, secured to the follower lever 31 at 39 and secured at 40 to a collar 4| .pinned to the shaft 24 at 42.

To the rear face of the offset 2| of the base 20 is brazed or otherwise secured a hub 44 having a central bore aligned with a corresponding perforation in the offset.. In this bore is slidably housed aplunger 45 provided at its rear 'end with an enlarged head 46 pinned to the 'plunger at 41. The main rear portion of the plunger is cylindrical, but its forward portion is cut away underneath to its center as shown in Fig. 3, forming a stop shoulder 48 and a bearing surface 49. A pin 50 set in the plunger body and sliding in a longitudinal slot 5| in the hub 44 limits the motion of the plunger in the hub. A compression spring 60 surrounding the plunger body and hub and abutting at its' ends against the head 46 and the offset 2| respectively tends to keen the plunger in its rearward position.

A strand supporting block generally indicated at 52 is set into a correspondingly shaped `notch out into the magazine body member 21 and is secured to the member 21 as by brazing, welding or the like. The block`52 comprises a table portion 53 whose flat upper surface is aligned with the flat under surface of the forward end of the plunger, and an appropriately curved upstanding thumb rest 54. The table 53 has a transversely aligned vertical strand slot or notch 55 to receive and support a strand 32 while a disk 3| is seated thereon. The rear end of the block 52 is formed with a notch 50 and a rearwardly extending tongue 51 which latter matches in position,ishape and size the upwardly' facing right hand end of the flange 30 and forms in effect a continuation thereof.

The forward end of the plunger 45 isformed with a vertical longitudinal slot 58 dimensioned to easily admit a strand 32. In the under face ofthe forward end of the plunger-is a U-shaped recess 59 dimensioned to snugly but not tightly receive and support but not hold a disk 3|.

In operation, assuming the magazine to be empty, the follower lever 31 is rotated clockwise against the tension of the spring 43 until the follower 35 stands beyond the notch 22. A convenient number of disks 3| to fill the magazine as desired is then fed by hand through the notch 22 to stand with their slots 34 embracing the flange 30, and are slipped along the flange counter-clockwise. When a desired number has been put into the magazine, the lever 31 is released to be rotated counter-clockwise by the spring 43, whereby the follower 30 until the foremost disk is pressed up on the tongue 51 into the recess 59; for in its normal, inactive position the plunger 45 is held by the spring 60 and the stop pin 50 so -that the recess 59 is positioned to receive a. disk 3| .from the magazine. The depth of the recess 59 is less than the least thickness of one disk 3|, and the disk 3| in the recess has its' lower face substantially aligned to slide on the surface of the table 53.

With the tool thus loaded for use, it may be applied to a strand 32 to receive the strand in the bottom of the slot 55, this being so proportioned and located that the strand will then be in one plane with the vertical slot 58 in the nose of the plunger 45. If then the plunger be driven forward against the tension of the spring 60 as 35 pushes the disks 3| by pressing with the fingers on the head 46 and with the thumb .of the same hand on the thumb rest 54, the plunger pushes the disk 3| contained therein forward until it is seated on the strand 32 with the strand held in the central perforation 33 of the disk 3|. On releasing the-plunger, it returns under the tension of the spring 50 leaving the particular disk 3| in position on the strand and picks up the next disk from the top of the range of disks in the magazine and receives it in the recess 59 in readiness for a repetition of the operation.

In some cases the disks 3| are made by punching from a sheet of suitable material, e. g., paper or fabric impregnated with artificial resin, and in such a case may carry a slight burr on the edges of oneside which will render the overall thickness of the disks somewhat variable. To handle this condition smoothly the rear edge of the table surface 53 and of the top surface of the tongue 51 may be slightly rounded or beveled so that a slightly over thick disk 3| will ride up as the plunger is pushed forward', and will push the table down a trifle as necessary against the tension of the spring 6|. This is a reason for making the magazine body 21 rotatable with respect to the base member 3| instead of rigid with respect thereto. However, the principal reason is that the disks 3| may be securely held in the recess 59 by the resilient against the disk under the tension of the spring 6 In the embodiment shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8. a pair of parallel jaw pliers of familiar construction is used as' the base. These pliers have handles ||0 and ||0 of U-shaped cross section pivoted together at |09. Parallel jaws |20 and |2| are pivotally connected to the handles at I and ||2 respectively. Guide pins ||3 and ||4 fixed in the handles and playing in slots ||5 and ||6 in the jaws, coact with the pivots l|| and ||2 to keep the jaws parallel at all times. A tension vspring ||1 connected at one end to the jaw |20 and at the other endto the handle tends to hold the jaws apart.

The far end of the jaw |20 is formed with an inwardly projecting nose |55, and the far end of the jaw |2| is formed with a corresponding transverse vertical slot |58. At the upper end of the slot |58 is a U-shaped recess |59 adapted to receive and support one disk 3| in such fashion that if a strand 32 be positioned opposite the nose |55 -(Fig. 6) and the pliers be closed the strand will be pushed into the slot |58, and into the slot 34 of the disk 3| in question.

The jaw |20 carries a cylindrical shell rigidly mounted therein, as by being brazed or welded into a corresponding semi-cylindrical notch cut into the jaw, the shell being axially at right angles to the jaw and having at its right hand end a disk like, semi-circular magazine body |21 rigidly secured transversely thereto so that the straight lower edge of the body |21 pressure of the table 53 I rests slidably on the upper surface of the jaw 330 are on each side of the flange |30 and transversely concave toward the middle flange. The three flanges together form a magazine trough and are curved and dimensioned, as shown in Fig. 8, to hold an arcuate stack of disks 3|, the outer flanges 230 and 330 extending far enough around the disks 3| so that they cannot fall out of the magazine laterally, and the" center flange |30 serving to orient all the disks 3| with their slots 34 facing the left.

A shaft |24 is journalled in a. plug ||9 rigidly mounted in the left end of the shell |23 and carries at its right end a follower lever' |31 rigidly mounted on the shaft. The lever is formed with right side with an integral table |53 whose upper face is coplanar with the top face of the jaw |2|. Also, the flanges 230 and 330 arecut away at their near ends (Fig.- 7) to provide a loading opening |22 into the magazine. f

In operation, the magazine being assumed empty, the follower is drawn back (counter-clockwise, Fig. '7) until it rests against the jaw |2| and the magazine is lled with disks 3| to the desired extent. The follower is then released and drives the disks around in the magazine until the rst one enters the recess |59 and rests therevWith the tool thus loaded, it may be positioned to stand with a strand 32 aligned between the nose |55 and the slot |58 as shown in Fig. 6. ,By squeezing the handles IIU and together the nose |55, recess |59 and slot |58 coact to force, the strand and disk together, seating the disk on the strand or the strand in the disk., Meantime, themagazi-ne and itsappurtenances, being rigidly mounted on the jaw |20, it is carried over the jaw |2|, leaving the strand free to pass undisturbed into the disk and into the slot |58; while the table |53 closes the outlet of the magazine. Upon releasing the handles, the jaws open again because of the spring and the apparatus returns to the position' of Fig. 6 ready to be operated again.

In Fig. 5 the several disks 3| are shown with their slots extending radially from the strand 32 in different directions. Obviously the tool of either Fig. 1 or Fig. 6 may-be applied to the strand from any radial direction as may be desired.

The embodiments herein disclosed are illustrative only and may be modified and departed from in many ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as pointed out in and limited only by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a tool for assembling slotted insulating disks on an electrically conductive strand and having a supporting block and a magazine to hold a supply of disks and means on the supporting block to support a strand, means to receive a disk from the magazine and assemble the same on a strand,-comprising a member reciprocable with respect to the supporting block and having a recess to receive a disk from the magazine, the

strand supporting means and the disk receiving coact to assemble the disk and the strand when the reciprocable member is actuated.

2. In a tool for assembling slotted insulating disks on an electrically conductive strand and` having a supporting block and a magazine to hold a supply of disks and means on the supporting block to support a strand, means to receive a disk .from the magazine and assemble-the same on a strand, comprising a member reciprocable into either of two positions and formed 'with a recess to receive a disk from the magazine when in one position and to assemble the disk with a strand on the supporting means when reciprocated into the other position.

3. In a tool for assembling slotted insulating having a supporting block and a magazine to hold a supply of disks and means on the supporting block to support a strand, means to receive a disk from the magazine and assemble the same on a strand, comprising a member reciprocable into either of two positons and formed with a recess to receive a disk from the magazinewhen in one position and to assemble the disk with a strand on the supporting means when reciprocated into the other position, and means on the reciprocable member to close the magazine when the reciprocable member is .moved from the disk receiving position thereof.

4. A tool for assembling slotted insulating disks on an electrically conductive strand, comprising a supporting block, strand supporting means, and a magazine to hold a supply of disks to be delivered one by one and including a flange to enter and mutually align the slots of a plurality of disks and means to move the disks along the flange in combination with means to receive a disk from the magazine and assemble the same on a strand, including a member reciprocable with respect to the supporting block and having a recess to receive la disk from the magazine, the

',disks on an electrically conductive strand and strand supporting means and theA disk receiving i means being so proportioned and arranged as to coact to assemble the disk and the strand when thereciprocable member is actuated.

5. A tool for assembling slotted insulating disks on an electrically conductive strand, comprising a supporting block, strand supporting. means, and a magazine to hold a supply of disks to be delivered one by one and including an arcuate flange to enter and mutually align the slots of a plurality of disks and means to confine the disks on the ange laterally thereof, and spring' means to moveI the disks along the ange in com.- bination with means to receive a disk from the magazine and assemble the same on a. strand, including a member reciprocable into either of two positions and formed with a recess to receive a disk from the magazine when in one position and to assemble the disk with a strand on the supporting means when reciprocated into the other position.

6. A tool for assembling slotted insulating disks on an electrically conductive strand, comprising a supporting block, strand supporting means, and a magazine to hold a supply of disks to be delivered one by one and including an arcuate flange toenter and mutually align the slots of a plurality of disks and means to conne the disks on the ange laterally thereof, and spring means to move the disks along the flange in combination with means to receive a disk from the magazine and assemble the same on a strand, including a member reciprocable into either of two positions and formed With a recess to receive a disk from the magazine when 7. A tool for assembling slotted insulating disks on a strand, comprising an arcuate magazine having an arcuate flange therein over which a plurality of disks may be placed, means for continuously urging the disks in one direction along said flange, a portion having a slot transverse to the slot in the disks for receiving and supporting a strand, a reciprocable member having a recess for receiving a disk and having a slot therein corresponding to the slot in the disk for transferring a disk from said magazine and applying it to said strand, and means for actuating said reciprocable member to apply a disk to the strand.

8. A tool for assembling slotted insulatingv disks on a strand, comprising a magazine for a plurality of disks, a reciprocable member having a recess for receiving a disk and having a slot therein corresponding to the slot in the disk,

means for positioning a strand against movement in the direction of movement of said reciprocable member, and means for actuating said reciprocable member to apply a diskto the strand.

9. A tool for assembling slotted insulating disks on a strand, comprising a magazine for a plurality of disks, a reciprocable member having a recess for receiving a disk and having a. slot therein corresponding to the slot in the disk, means for positioning a. strand to enter the slot in the disk and to supportthe strand against movement in the direction of movement of said reciprocable member, and means for actuating 

